1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a reactor vessel and, more particularly, to a single-use vessel and method and system for treatment and transport of toxic chemicals designed to be used as weapons. Of course, the reactor vessel and method have general application for treating chemicals and are, therefore, not limited to toxic chemicals in the weapons environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years there has been a global emphasis on a safe and economical reduction of chemical warfare-related materiels which were at one time produced in large quantities and in various configurations, such as rockets, artillery projectiles, bombs, and land mines. Many weapons and chemical warfare-related materiels were not consumed, but were buried in test ranges or at training sites. Treatment of recovered chemical warfare-related materiels found at these locations require safe handling and proper disposal.
Many known systems have been developed to aid in the treatment and disposal of chemical weapons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,799, issued Aug. 13, 1996, teaches chemical destruction of toxic organic compounds, such as mustard gas, by reaction with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The main reactor is connected to a blanketing inert gas supply line, a catalyst vessel, three chemical supply lines, cold and hot heat exchangers, an interim storage tank, and a liquid knockout vessel with a liquid discharge and a vent to a carbon bed, a flare, or an incinerator. The optional equipment includes an inline mixer for the supplied chemicals, a spray nozzle in the main reactor, and probes for the monitoring of the pH and the temperature. However, this system is not practical for use in the field with a small number of chemical weapons.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,203, issued Nov. 12, 1996, there is taught a process and installation for destroying munitions containing toxic agents by pyrotechnic fragmentation in a lidded pool of neutralizing liquid. The pool is constructed of a ductile, flexible, and tearproof materiel that is supported by its installation in hollowed out, compacted, and stable ground. The example of the required pool size that is given is 12 meters in diameter by 6 meters in depth, a volume in which the suspended munitions are to be centered. The application of this process to munitions containing mustard gas agent has been tried and evaluated at the Centre d""Etudes du Bouchet in France. Problems identified with the process include a low processing rate of four shells per hour, a dependence on the munitions explosive charge, accumulations of metal fragments in the pool, and difficulties in processing arsenic-containing, thickened, or viscous agents.
European Patent No. EP 13,822, teaches improvements in the treatment of hazardous waste, and is somewhat similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,203, supra. It is described as follows: xe2x80x9cIn a process for pretreating hazardous waste prior to solidification, the waste is received in containers. The containers are deposited in a large vessel containing chemical pretreatment media and subjected to an agitating process in the vessel whereby the containers are ruptured and their contents deposited in the media. Neutralization, precipitation, and chemical modification processes are envisaged in the container. After pretreatment the liquid is removed for ultimate solidification.xe2x80x9d The patent describes the vessel as being an octagonal prism about ten meters across in size, with a sieve side wall for the removal and treatment of the media and a four-armed diametrical rotating agitator that not only ruptures drums of waste but reduces each one to compact balls that ultimately dissolve in the media.
Many of the known systems are time-consuming, require great care and are complicated. They typically require expensive handling, processing, monitoring, and control to ensure the safety of potentially exposed workers, as well as the general public and the environment. The chemical agents that must be treated are often contained within small glass ampoules or bottles, such as Chemical Agent Identification Sets (CAIS). However, most of the previous technologies are applicable primarily to chemical agents in munitions and large containers and are too complicated and expensive to be of practical use with one or two glass containers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus, method and system for the safe treatment, sampling, and transportation of chemical weapon materiels contained in small frangible, typically glass, containers. Hereafter for brevity the discussion herein is in terms of glass containers, bottles or ampoules. The invention is not so limited. Accordingly, the present invention provides a sealed reactor vessel within which a glass bottle or ampoule containing an unsafe, usually extremely toxic chemical can be safely accessed. A liquid reaction occurs between the chemical released from the bottle and a second chemical placed inside the vessel. The chemicals combine to produce a product, usually a chemical waste product, that can then be sampled, if necessary, and transported while still within the sealed reactor vessel for disposal.
Although the apparatus, method and system are disclosed in the context of chemical weapons, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for disposing of undesired, typically toxic, chemicals in general.
More specifically, an embodiment of the present invention relates to an apparatus having a single-use vessel for holding a bottle of chemical warfare-related materiel and a treatment chemical. The vessel further includes a compression section, a treatment portion and a cover. A compression support frame is fixedly mounted with respect to the vessel and extends over the cover. A jack is positioned on the cover and is operative to expand into the compression support frame so that a force is transferred to the compressible section causing it to compress. An impact member is fixed to the cover so that when the cover is lowered due to deformation of the compressible section, the impact member breaks the bottle, thus mixing the contents of the chemical weapon materiel with the treatment chemical to render the chemical weapon materiel less harmful.
The present invention still further provides a reactor for treating and disposing of chemicals, typically toxic chemicals such as chemical warfare materiels, comprising a treatment vessel for holding a volume of a treatment too chemical and a bottle of a toxic chemical which in its most preferred form is portable by hand and can even be hand held. The vessel has a top, a base and at least one impact weight, such as a steel ball bearing, movably positioned therein. Upon agitation or movement of the treatment vessel, the impact weight contacts and opens the bottle, thus releasing the toxic chemical, which is then mixed with the treatment chemical. The invention also contemplates a penetration pin fixed to the base within the treatment vessel to facilitate the opening of the bottle.
The present invention still further provides a first method for treating a chemical, typically a toxic chemical, using a single use vessel having a compressible section, the method comprising the steps of placing a bottle in the vessel so that the bottle is internally aligned with an impact member, inserting a treatment chemical into the vessel and sealing the vessel. The method further includes operating a jack so that a force is exerted upon the compressible section, which causes the compressible section to be compressed, and the impact member to break the bottle so that the treatment chemical is mixed with the (toxic) chemical and rendered less harmful.
The present invention also provides a method for treating a toxic chemical using a hand held treatment vessel, the method comprising the steps of: placing a bottle of a toxic chemical in the hand held treatment vessel; inserting a treatment chemical into the hand held treatment vessel; placing a weight into the hand held treatment vessel; sealing the hand held treatment vessel; striking an end of the hand held treatment vessel so that the weight breaks the bottle; and shaking the hand held treatment vessel to facilitate mixing between the treatment chemical and the toxic chemical.
In the system of the present invention, the toxic chemical and treatment chemical are present and reaction thereof is shortly to be initiated.
Features of the present invention include suitable vessel size for a single glass container and mobility. While in theory a plurality of small glass containers could be processed in accordance with the present invention, for reasons which should be self-apparent, the present invention finds particular use with a vessel size appropriate for a single glass container. With respect to mobility, since it is contemplated in accordance with the present invention that the reactor vessel be transportable by hand, most preferably by a single individual, for ease of mobility and use, a weight of approxmately 50 lbs. with a volume of approximately 2 liters appears to be most suitable and convenient. The invention further allows for safe container opening without an agitator, suitability for use as a shipping container after initial treatment and ultimate disposal without solidification, thus providing a simple and effective means for disposal of (toxic) chemicals. These features translate into improved safety for operators and surrounding communities while providing for substantial reductions in the cost and time to dispose of, e.g., harmful chemical weapons.